Album Notes

Poolesville, Maryland Band Releases First Cd
Cattail Road's Mix Of Soulful Lyrics, American Country, Rock And Blues Rhythms Reflects Rural Roots And Dc Verve

WASHINGTON, DC, OCTOBER 2, 2001 - Cattail Road, a Poolesville Md. band, today announced the release of its first CD, a compilation of 11 of its more than 200 original songs, featuring vocals, guitar, violin and percussion.

A 45-minute drive outside of Washington, D.C., Poolesville, Md. is a haven for musicians, horse lovers, families and people drawn by its beauty and peace. Its this rural sanctuary near the nation's nerve center that brought together four talented musicians in a band named for one of its scenic blacktop highways.

In their first album, Cattail Road's unique blend of vocals, percussion and guitar, spiced with sympathetic violin strains, offers songs about love and life, recounting some of the fears we all face and the simple things that make us human. Cattail's style--reminiscent of the Eagles with Southern rock overtones - includes a crisp, danceable sound and soulful, sometimes haunting lyrics.

The tunes, all written by the lead guitarist with arrangements by the band, vary in tone and format from blues to country to rock and the lyrics are consistently fresh and moving. Some songs make you want to dance, some make you laugh and others make you cry. No two are alike, which makes the overall theme of the album difficult to define.

"If I" is a song about self-doubt and a longing for love; "The Woods" paints a picture of a secret place where a man goes to find himself and the strength he needs to do the right thing.

Like the rest of Cattail Road, songwriter, lead guitarist and bandleader, Darren Francis grew up in the Washington, D.C. area. He's raising four kids in Poolesville and working as a sheet metal worker for a local contractor. The drummer, Brian Smith, is a family man, electrician and long-time professional in the high-tech field of building security. The youngest member, bass-player Mike Walker, is a single parent and a sound technician; violinist Phil Swaby looks after his elderly parents and is a full-time musician.

Brian's brother, Greg Smith and boyhood friend Rich Krents produced the album at their studio, EOP Recordings in Bethesda, Md. It's a family affair in many ways: family men from a family-oriented town, singing about families and the things that hold them together and tear them apart.

Cattail Road plays at local clubs, polo events, fundraisers and private parties and plans to begin playing more frequently in clubs in DC. For Booking info send mail to steve@ads-ent.com